Musk says he will give SpaceX shares to U.S. children next year

Musk’s donation announcement

Kucoin reports that Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on social media that he will give one SpaceX share to every child in America next year. Musk described the planned gift as "the first of many," according to the source. The article says he did not give details about how the donation would work and did not explicitly say he would use Trump Accounts, also known as 530A accounts.

Scale and value of the proposed gift

The source says the United States reportedly has 72 million children under 18. On that basis, giving one SpaceX share to each child would mean 72 million shares. Kucoin says that amount would be worth about $10.6 billion as of Tuesday. The article also says the gift would be larger than the $6.25 billion that Michael Dell and his wife donated to support Trump Accounts for children. Kucoin notes that the $10.6 billion figure is not officially documented and would equal only 1.2% of Musk’s current wealth.

Musk’s wealth after the donation

According to Bloomberg, as cited by Kucoin, Musk would still have a net worth of $908.4 billion after the donation, assuming no change in his wealth before next June. The source says that would make Musk’s remaining fortune 2.44 times the wealth of Jeff Bezos, the second-richest billionaire. Kucoin reports that Bezos, the Amazon.com founder, is currently worth $372 billion. The article adds that Musk owns about 48% of SpaceX shares and about 85% of the voting power.

Questions about timing and lockups

Kucoin says some people questioned why Musk was not donating the shares right away. The article says one of Musk’s social media posts suggests he may be waiting until all of his SpaceX shares can be traded. It also says part of his holdings is subject to a 366-day lockup, which would keep those shares from being traded until June 2027.

Trump’s response and Trump Accounts

The source says President Donald Trump praised the announcement and described it as consistent with the purpose of Trump Accounts. Trump said Musk’s donation would help American children have a "piece of the American Dream," according to the article. Kucoin also reports that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said earlier this month that roughly 70 million Trump Accounts have been created, and that some may have been opened automatically rather than by parents or guardians.

Musk’s past comments and possible implications

Kucoin says the announcement may have surprised some people because Musk has not been known for philanthropy over the years. The article says Musk previously discouraged people from donating to the Trump Accounts effort. It also reports that, after Ray Dalio praised Trump Accounts, Musk called the Dells’ donation a nice gesture. The source says Musk has argued that there will be no poverty in the future, that people will not need to save money, and that there will be universal high income. It adds that Musk has said AI and robotics will allow people to stop working in the future.

What the move could signal

According to Kucoin, the donation could mean Musk has changed his view on Trump Accounts. The article also says it could indicate that Musk expects Tesla and SpaceX to become more valuable over the next year, which would increase his wealth. The source notes that new compensation packages could also raise his net worth further. It says Musk could receive around $1 trillion from a Tesla pay package if all future milestones are reached, and that his SpaceX compensation agreement could provide an additional billion shares if milestones are met.